The accounts of the flood in the Jewish and Christian
traditions acknowledge Noah as being a righteous man in a world crushed under
the weight of sin and disbelief. The Quran and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad,
may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, teach us that Prophet Noah was
a beacon of hope among the descendants of Adam in an era where sin and lawlessness
had overtaken the people.

Mankind had been one community believing in the Oneness
of God, but confusion and deviation had crept in. Noah was a calm, patient man
who called his people to return to the worship of the One True God. He was an
exceptional speaker, enjoining those around him to leave the worship of idols,
and to hear his warning of a terrible punishment for those who venerated idols
and statues.

“And indeed We sent Noah to his people and he said O my people!
Worship God! You have no other god but Him.” (Quran 23:23)

Noah narrated stories about the mysteries of life and
the wonders of the universe. He described how the day, which gives sunlight
and activity, followed the night that gives coolness and rest. He spoke of God,
the Divine Creator Who owned heaven and earth, and he pointed out the wideness
and beauty of the earth. Noah explained that the creation of the world was for
the well being of mankind; but that man also had an obligation to understand
this and direct his worship to God, not false deities. When Noah began to speak
of the punishment that awaited idolaters, his people became resentful and
angry.[1]

How Idolatry Began

Prophet Muhammad informed us that there were ten generations
between Prophets Adam and Noah.[2]
We know that this was a very large period of time, as Noah himself lived over
a century, and people before lived even longer.

In those years, between Adam and Noah there were
generations of people that remembered the laws taught by Adam and worshipped
God correctly. The years passed and the people forgot; at times, the righteous
men amongst them reminded the people of their obligations to God. As time
continued to move on, the righteous men began to die, and Satan came whispering
to the people who had looked up to them, putting thoughts into their minds in
his sly, cunning way.

Satan inspired the good people to make statues of the
righteous men. In this way, Satan said, they would remember the righteous
people and thus remember to worship God. The good people built statues in
their meeting places and their homes, and Satan left them alone until everyone
had forgotten the reason the statues existed. Many years later, the devious
Satan appeared amongst the people again, this time suggesting that they worship
the idols directly.

An authentic narration of Prophet Muhammad sums up the beginning
of idolatry in the following way. Ibn Abbass, a close companion of the Prophet
Muhammad said:

“The names (of the idols) formerly belonged to some
pious men of the people of Noah, and when they died Satan inspired their people
to prepare and place idols at the places where they used to sit, and to call
those idols by their names. The people did so, but the idols were not
worshipped till those people (who initiated them) had died and the origin of
the idols had become obscure, whereupon people began worshipping them.” (Saheeh
Al-Bukhari)

Noah’s Call

The word Prophet (Nabi in Arabic) is derived from
the word Naba,meaning news. Revelation is given by God and, in turn,
the Prophet spreads the news amongst his people. A Messenger, on the other hand,
is sent with a specific mission, usually to convey a new ordainment from God. Every
Messenger is a Prophet, but every Prophet is not a Messenger.[3] Since this was
mankind’s first deviation from the correct worship of God as taught by Prophet
Adam, God, in his infinite Kindness and Mercy, fulfilled His promise to Adam to
send messengers as guidance for mankind. God sent Noah, the first of His
Messengers.[4]
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet Muhammad said:

“On the day of Judgement, the people will come to
Noah and say ‘Oh Noah, you are the first of the Messengers sent to earth, and God
called you a thankful slave.’”(Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

Worshipping anything other than God has grave
consequences, the least of which is a lack of freedom; for Satan enslaves man,
destroys his mind and renders him unable to distinguish between right and
wrong. When Noah warned his people of the torment that awaited them if they
did not give up their idolatry, his warning fell mostly on deaf ears. Noah
explained Satan’s deceit, but his people turned away and refused to listen.
Noah warned them day and night; he announced his message in public and he spoke
quietly to people privately; yet all, but a few, denied his words. Noah cried
out to God.

“He said: ‘O my Lord! Verily, I have called my people night
and day (secretly and openly to accept the doctrine of Islamic Monotheism), but
all my calling added nothing but to their flight from the truth. Verily! Every
time I called unto them that You might forgive them, they thrust their fingers
into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, and persisted (in
their refusal), and magnified themselves in pride.” (Quran 71:5-7)

Those who responded to Noah’s call were the weakest and
poorest of his people; the leaders and those with power responded arrogantly
and rejected the call. They said:

“Verily we see you in plain error” (Quran 7:60)

Noah continued to appeal to his people, day after day
and year after year. For 950 years he endured their taunts and mockery.

Footnotes:

[1]
Based on the work of Al Imam ibn Katheer, The Stories of the Prophets.

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